Rail joint and brace.



P-ATBNT'EDJUNE 23, 1908.,

L. T. JOBRDEN. f RAIL JOINT AND BRAGE.

Arrmm'non FILED APR 9 1907 2 SHEETS- 81E331 1.

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.N 891,546. PATENTBD' JUNE 23,1908; L. T. JOERDBN.

RAIL JOINT AND BRAGB. APPLICATION riLIsD APB.9.1 907.

2 S HBBTS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses. 1111 612701" WKW.

LOUIS T. JOERDEN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

RAIL JOIN T AND BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1908.

Application filed April 9, 1907. Serial No. 367,225.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs T. JOERDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing 'at. the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain' new and useful Improvements in Rail Joints and Braces, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a combined railjoint and brace, and has for its object to pro vide .a strong, durable, efficient, and inexpensive device which supports, binds together, and braces the meeting ends of railway-rails.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, in which like numbers of reference denote like parts wherever they occur. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of rails set end to end, and equipped with the hereindescribed invention; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofone of the castings; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the other casting; and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55, Fig. 1.

Generically, the device comprises a pair of castings, one of which serves as a combined base and fish-plate, while the other is a combined fish-plate and brace, said castings having such projections, tongues, or ribs therefrom or recesses or grooves therein as will enable the projections on the one to seat within the recesses in the other, and thus most effectively lock the two members together. Where the device is used to'bind together and brace the meeting ends of rails on straightaway stretches of track, said firstmentioned casting is generally placed on the inner side of the rail, i. e., on the side adjacent the other of the two rails which comprise the track, and said second-mentioned casting on the opposite'or outer side of the rail, said last1nentioned or brace casting-thus serving to resist any tendency on the part of the rails to spread. WVhen the device is used at a curve, the first-mentioned casting should be placed on the inner side of the curve, 71. e., on the side nearest the center, which, for the rail of lesser radius, Will be the outer side of the rail and, for the rail of greater radius, will be the inner side of the rail. The bracecasting is always located on the side of the rail opposite to that on which said first-mentioned casting is placed. The rails will thus be braced against the centrifugal force of the train. i

The first or base-plate casting comprises a base 1 which rests upon the ties, and with which is integral the fish-plate 2, a web 3 connecting base 1 and fish-plate 2. The rails to be connected rest upon base 1, one flange or foot 1 of each rail being placed in the crotch 5 which is formed betweenthe web 3 and base 1. and 7 which bear against the web 8 of the rail, bead 6 fitting into the crotch .between the web 8 and flange 4 and bead? into the crotch between the web 8 and tread 9. beads, as well as the 'crotches in which they fit, are rounded off, so that they fit snugly against the rail. Thesecond or brace casting comprises a fish-plate 10 and bracing members 11 and 12 integral therewith. Beads 13 and 14 upon said fish-plate 10 engage web 8, flange 15, and tread 9 on the side opposite plate 2 and in a manner similar to beads 6 and 7. from said plate 10 and engage the base 1 of the base-plate casting, suitable means, hereinafter more fully described, being provided on said braces and said base by which the two castings are kept in close engagement and any tendency for them to slide one upon the other prevented. From the top of plate 10, immediately beneath the point where the same engages the tread 9, extend oblique braces 11, while, from the bottom of plate 10, extends the brace or flange 12. Usually, a pair of braces 11 is provided, one at each end of plate 10, but this number may be altered if so desired.

Brace 12 engages and fits over flange 15 of the foot of the rail, and terminates in a foot or flange 16, which is bent downwardly so as to be approximately vertical, though the outer edge 17 thereof may be rounded off or curved. Said flange 16 fits into a groove 18 which is recessed in base 1 and which extends longitudinally in said base, just outside the edge of flange 15 and parallel thereto, it being understood that base 1 is wider than the foot of the rail., A rib or shoulder 19 on said base 1 forms the outer wall or edge of groove 18; Said rib may be so cast that the wall of the groove is at right angles to the floor thereof, but preferably said wall is inclined or curved so as to fit over flange 16, and thus form an acute-angled crotch 20 in which flange 16 seats, rather than a right-angled one.

Integral with base 1, and equal in number andcorresponding in position to braces 11, are extensions or offsets 21, which extensions Upon fish-plate 2 are beads 6 Said Braces 11 and 12 extend comprise flat plates, at the outer edge of each of which is formed a shoulder 22. Each brace 11 terminates in ahorizontal member 23 which engages one of the extensions 21, the edge of said horizontal member 23 being bent up into a flange 24 which bears against the shoulder 22.

Spike-holes 25 are cut through each horizontal member 23 and these register with similar spike-holes 26 in extensions 21. Spike-holes 27 are cut through brace 12 and register with spike-holes 28 in base 1, the heads of the spikes 29 which are driven therethrough directly engaging the flange 15 of the rail. On the opposite side of the baseplate casting are spike-holes 30.

The base 1 is made thicker on the side engaged by the brace casting than on the side adjacent crotch 5. This not only gives the greatest weight of metal at the point where the strain on the base is greatest, but, in addition, causes the rail to tilt inwardly to a slight degree, so that it will more effectively resist the centrifugal force of the train.

The method of using the device is as follows: The rails to be supported, bound, and braced are placed end to end, resting upon base 1, and with their respective flanges 4 inserted as far as possible within the crotch 5. The brace-casting is thenrslipped into place, so that flange 16 seats in groove 18 and the horizontal part 23 of braces 11 engage their respective extensions 21 which project from base 1. Spikes 31 are then driven through spike holes 25 and 26, thus binding the two castings together, after which spikes 29 are driven through holes 27 and 28, and spikes 32 through spike-holes 30, thus binding the castings to the ties, and holding the rails securely within the castings. Bolts 33 are then inserted through holes 34 provided in the castings and the rails, and nuts 35 tightened thereupon, thus binding the fishplates 2 and 10 to the rails, and enabling the fish-plates to support part of the weight which would otherwise be carried by web 8 alone;

Since the strain exerted by the train is usually in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 2, it is obvious that the tendency will be to force the brace casting toward the right, Figs. 2 and 5, but whether the braces are forced in that direction by the stress of the train or vertically downward by its weight, the result is to cause the brace casting to seat more firmly upon the baselate casting, and the greater the weight or ibrce of the train, the more securely do the two castings lock together.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. A rail-joint comprising a air of castings, an extension projecting irom one of said castings, and a brace projecting from the other of said castings, and engaging but separable from said extension, said extension makin the casting of which it forms a part ununitorm in width.

2. A rail-joint comprising a pair of castings, an extension projecting from one of said castings and making same ununiform in width, a shoulder on said extension, and a brace projecting from the other of said castings and bearing against said shoulder.

3. A rail-joint comprising a pair of castings, an extension projecting from one of said castings and making same ununi'form in width, a shoulder on said extension, and a brace projecting from the other of said castings, said brace engaging said extension and bearing against said shoulder.

4. A rail-joint comprising a pair of castings, an extension projecting from one of sald castings and making same ununiform in .width, a shoulder on said extension, a brace projecting from the other of said castings, and a flange upon said brace, said flange bearing against said shoulder.

5. A rail-joint comprising a pair of castings, an extension projecting from one of said castings and making same ununiform in width, a shoulder on said extension, a

brace projecting from the other of said castings, and a flange upon said brace, said brace engaging said extension and said flange bearing upon said shoulder.

6. A rail-joint comprising a pair of castings, an extension projecting from one of said castings and making same ununiform in width, and a brace comprising an oblique portion and a horizontal portion extending from said other casting, said horizontal portion engaging said extension.

7. A rail-joint comprising a pair of castings, an extension projecting form one of said castings and making same ununiform in width, a shoulder upon said extension, and a brace comprising an oblique portion and a horizontal portion, said horizontal portion terminating in a flange, said horizontal portion engaging said extension and said lange bearing against said shoulder.

8. Arail-joint comprising a pair of castings, one of said castings being a base-plate having a fish-plate integral therewith, the other of said castings comprising a fish-plate and braces integral therewith, one of said braces projecting from the bottom of said fish-plate, another brace projecting from the top of the fish-plate, both of said braces engaging the base-plate.

9. A rail-joint comprising a pair of castings, one of said castings being a base-plate and braces integral therewith, one of said braces projecting from the bottom of said fish-plate and seating in a groove in the baseplate, another braceprojecting from the top of the fish plate, and engaging the baseplate beyond the groove.

10. A j oint-chair comprising a pair of cast ings, a brace secured to one of said castings and projecting from a point immediately beneath the rail-tread, and an extension proj ecting from the other of said castings, said brace, engaging but being separable from, said extension, said extension making the casting of which it forms a part ununiform in width.

' 1 1. A joint-chair comprising a pair of castings, one of said castings embodying a baseplate and fish-plate, the other embodying a fish-plate and braces, one of said braces engaging saidbase-plate adjacent the rail-flange, and the other brace engaging the base-plate at a point removed from the rail-flange.

12. A joint-chair comprising a pair of castings, one of said castings embodying a baseplate and fish-plate, the other embodying a fish-plate and braces, saidbase-plate having an extension projecting therefrom making said base-plate ununiform in width, one of said braces engaging said base-plate throughout its length, the other brace engaging only said extension.

13. A joint-chair comprising a pair of castings, one of said castings embodying a baseplate and fish-plate, the other embodying a fish-plate and braces, said base-plate having an extension projecting therefrom which makes said base-plate ununiform in width,

one of said braces projecting from a point adjacent the flange of the rail, and engaging the base-plate adjacent the edge of the flange, the other brace projecting from a point adjacent the tread, and engaging said extension.

14. A joint-chair comprising a pair of castings, one of said castings embodying a baseplate, said base-plate having an extension adapted to be engaged by a brace which projects from said other casting, said brace being separable from said extension, said extension making the casting of which it forms a part ununiform in Width, said extension being thicker than the body of the base-plate.

15. A joint-chair comprising a pair of castings, one of said castings being a base-plate having a fish-plate integral therewith, the otherof said castings comprising a fish-plate and two braces integral therewith, one of said braces projecting from the bottom of the fish-plate outwardly over the rail flange, the other brace projecting obliquely downward from the top of the fish-plate, both of said braces engaging the base-plate, and being spaced apart each from the other, there being registering spikeholes in said second-mentioned brace and said base-plate.

16. A joint-chair comprising a pair of castings, one of said castings being a base-plate having a fish-plate intergral therewith, the other of said castings comprising a fish-plate and two braces integral therewith, one of said braces projecting from the bottom of the fish-plate outwardly over the rail flange, the other brace projecting obliquely downward from the top of the fish-plate, both of said braces engaging the base-plate and being spaced apart each from the other, said firstmentioned brace engaging said base at a point adjacent the rail-flange, and said second-mentioned brace engaging said base at a point removed from the rail-flange.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my l signature in presence of two witnesses.

, LOUIS T. JOERDEN.

Witnesses:

CHAS. A. BECKER, ELLIOTT R. GOLDSMITH. 

